Genomic Instability

Hallmarks of Aging Miniseries No. 1 Genomic Instability

As cells age, chromosomes lose their stability. Genomic instability is a key hallmark of aging.

Although there is much evidence linking genomic and epigenomic changes to disorders involving accelerated aging, it’s been trickier to relate these changes to natural aging. Of all the DNA lesions that occur as a result of endogenous and environmental insults, it’s clear that some (like retrotransposon movement and large chromosomal rearrangements) contribute more than others.

Of course, it’s also possible that decreased DNA repair is itself a symptom, not a cause, of aging. To investigate this possibility, researchers will need to examine changes in transcriptional regulators of repair genes, such as ncRNAs, hormones, and other chromatin modulators.